Race starting gate



April 2, 1957 J. c. PuRcELL RACE STARTING GATE 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 27, l 55 IN V EN TOR. J ohh C. PU/'c ell,

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April 2, 1957 J. c. PuRcl-:LL

RACE STARTING GATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 27, 1955 INVENToR. John QPU/'96.

United States Patent O RACE STARTING GATE John C. Purcell, Nev@7 York, N. Y., assignor to Pnett Electrical Starting Gate Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of California Application July 27, 1955, Serial No. 524,672

15 Claims. (Cl. 11915.5)

This invention relates to an improvement in starting gates for race tracks, particularly for running horse races as distinguished from trotting races, and is an improvement over the construction disclosed in the Harris and Whann Patent 2,309,952, granted February 2, 1943.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a novel opening mechanism for an electric starting gate wherein there is provided a retractible keeper which, when it is pulled to its retractible position, will not injure a horse moving in or out of the stall of said starting gate.

Another object is to provide a bolt forming one of the latching elements of each pair of doors, which bolt is provided with bearing means whereby to overcome friction when the other latching element -is detached from the rst mentioned latching element.

An additional object is to provide a tongue and groove secondary locking means in combination with the aforementioned latching elements.

Other objects will appear hereinafter throughout the specification.

ln the drawings:

Figure l is an elevational View, parlty broken away, of a starting gate having pairs of doors provided with the structure of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged isometric View of a pair of doors in closed position with the upper and lower portions of the doors broken away;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the latching elements and the mounting means therefor;

Figure 4 is an enlarged front elevationalview of the other latching element and the mounting means therefor and showing in full lines its engagement with the iirst latching element;

Figure 5 is an end View of the structure shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a top view of the structure shown in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 3; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view, partly broken away, of the first named latching element.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to Figures l and 2, the starting gate as a whole is designatedV by the letter A. lt is provided with pairs of supporting wheels it), with steering means for one pair of wheels, not shown, and a superstructure 12. Suspended from the superstructure are a plurality of partitions 14, each pair of partitions forming a stall for a horse.

Eachstall is provided with a pair of doors or closure members 16. Such doors are pivotally mounted on pivots 18 to their partitions in the usual manner. The structures of the doors and their mountings is conventional.

As shown in Figure 2, each pair of doors forms a V when in closed position.

Each right door of the pair of doors is provided with a mounting plate 2i) that may be welded or otherwise rigidly secured to its door. Bolted thereto is a secondary plate 22 which mounts the primary latching element or bolt 24. Plate 22 is provided with a housing 26 that allows sliding r'ice movement of the bolt therein. Each bolt is provided with a projection 28 having a handle 30, and the housing 26 is provided with a pair of vertical slots 32 and 34 and a horizontal slot 36 connecting the vertical slots. The bolt is also provided with a notch 38 which will be described hereinafter.

Referring to the left door of each pair of doors, each is provided with a mounting plate 40 for mounting a magnetic holding means 42 and the secondary latching element 44. The magnetic holding means preferably comprises a pair of coils seen in Figure 2 and numbered 46 and 48. These are adapted to hold the secondary latching element in the full line `position upon energization of the coils 46 and 48 and upon deenergization of said coils to permit the secondary latching element to drop to the dotted line position, as lshown in Figure 4, and free the primary latching element 24.

Each magnetic holding means 42 is connected by e1ectrical wiring Sil to a source of electric potential, such as a battery, shown at 86. The wiring 50 is preferably housed in metal tubing 52 when in Figure 1. A starters switch is shown at 54, connected through battery 86.

The secondary latching element 44 is pivotally mounted by means of the pivot 56. A plate 58 is provided with a plurality of slots 60 whereby this plate may be adjustably held to the said mounting plate 4d by bolts 60. Located on the forward end of adjustable plate 58 yis a latch lug 62 which is adapted to engage in the notch 38, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, when the doors are `in closed position.

Referring again to the bolt 24, and particularly to Figures 2, 3 and 8, the forward end of the bolt 24 is provided with a reduced portion 64 having a. plurality of circular grooves 66. Mounted on said reduced portion are spaced rollers 68, each having an inner groove 70. Grooves 66 and 70 provide raceways for the balls 72, and the entire assemblage is held in position on the said reduced portion 64 by the shoulder 74 at one end and by the washer 76 at the other end. The washer is held in position by the screw 7S that threadedly engages the end of the `said reduced portion.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, each secondary latching element is provided with an armature 80 and a depending lug 82.

In the operation of the pairs of doors, and assuming the doors are in open position, the startingy switch is closed so as to energizeeach of the magnetic holding means 42 on the left door of each pair of doors. The doors are then closed manually either before or after the horses are lead into the stalls. In the former case, the horses are led in from the rear end of each stall. It is sometimes necessary, however, to back a horse into the stall, in which case, the pair of doors of that stall is allowed to remain in open position until the horse is in the stall.

After the doors are moved to closed position, the secondary latching element 44 is manually lraised from the dotted line position shown in Figures 2 and 4 to the full line position shown in these gures, at which time it will be held in this position due to the magnetic attraction of the armature Si) by the magnetic holding; means 42. At this time, the depending lug 82 is in engagement with the spaced rollers 68, and the latch lug 62 has engaged the notch 38, as shown in Figure 6.

When the circuit is broken, all of the pairs of coils of the several magnetic holding means are deenergized, thereby permitting the heavier end of the secondary latching element containing the armature 80 to drop to the dotted line position shown in Figures 2 and 4, thereby releasing the primary latching element. Each of the pairs of doors is incidentally swung to open position by biasing means such as springs, not shown. Such biasing means are conventional in the starting gate art.

Assuming the doors to be in open position and that one or ymore `horses are being backed into the starting gate, 'under these circumstances, the projection 28 is moved downwardly in slot 32, horizontally in slot 36 and vertically in slot 34 to hold the bolt or primary latching element 24 in its retracted position in View of the 'fact that horses are higlily excitable animals, yparticularly at the start of a race, unless some such larrangement is provided for retraction of the bolt when the doors vare open, the horse, attempting to be backed into the stall, would be injured by the projecting end of this bolt.

The provision of the rollers 6% on the end of the bolt permits a quicker release than has heretofore been possible in opening the doors of starting gates, and `such rollers prevent binding should a horse be Apressing against the doors at the time the Vdoors are released.

"The latch lng 62, when in. engagement with the notch 38 provides a secondary 'holding means for the doors. This .secondary holding means prevents movement of one door relative to the other door in the direction ofthe arrow 84, as seen in VFigure 6.

The term anti-friction means in the claimsis intended to include any one of the 'following `(on the end Vof the bolt'24'), viz., grease alone, anti-friction rollers, oranti- 'friction balls.

'The above description and drawings disclosela single embodiment of the invention, and specific language has been employed in .describing the several yfigures. Vlt will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitations of the scope of the invention yare thereby contemplated, and that vario-us alterations and modications may be niade such as would occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

I claim:

1. In a race starting gate, havingat least one stall opening, opposite'ly pivoted Ydoors adapted to close Ysaid opening when Yin closed position, latching means for Vsaid doors comprising a retractable bolt on one of said doors having an end portion extending beyond theswinging edge thereof when in extended position, a pivoted lug bearing latch on the other of said doors,'thelug bearing portion being in engagement with the projecting portion of said bolt, said projecting portion having anti-friction means thereon.

2.111 a race starting gate, having at ,least .one stall opening, oppositely pivoted doors forming substantially a riht angle when in closed position, adapted to close said opening when `in closed position, latchingmeans for 'said doors comprising a ietractablebolt on Yone vofsaid doors having an ,end portion extending 'beyond the swing- Ving edge thereof, when in extended position, a pivoted lug bearing latch on the other of said doors, the lug hearing portion being in engagement with the projecting portion of said bolt, said projecting portion having Vanti-.friction means thereon.

3. In a race starting gate, having at least one stall opening, oppositely pivoted doors adapted to close said opening when iii closed position,'latching means for said doors comprising a retractablebolt on one of said doors having van endportion extending beyond the swinging edge thereof when in extended position, a pivoted lng bearing latch on the other of said doors, the Ylug Vbearing ,portion being in engagement with the projecting portion of said bolt, ,said projecting portion havin-g anti-friction rollers thereon.

4. 'In a race starting gate, having at least one stall opening, oppositely pivoted doors forming substantially a right angle when in closed'positiomadapted to close said opening when in closed position, latching means for said doors Vcomprising a retractable bolt on one of said doors having an end portion extending beyond the swinging edge thereof when in extended position, a pivoted lug bearing latch on the other of said doors, the lug bearing portion being iii engagement with the projecting portion of said bolt, said projecting portion ,having aiitifriction rollers thereon.

5. In a race starting gate, having at least one stall opening, oppositely pivoted doorsforining substantially a right angle lwhen-inclosed position, Vadapted to close said opening when in closed position, latching means for said doors comprising aretractable bolt on one of said doors having an end portion extending beyond the swinging edge thereof when in .extended position, a pirioted lug bearing latch on the other of said doors, the lug bearing portion being in engagement with the projecting portion of said bolt` said projecting portieri having side by side anti- Afriction roller means thereon.

6. 'The starting gate as specified in claim 1 in which there Vis a magneticnieans mounted on `the said other of said doors for holding, when energized, said pivoted lug in engagement with said projecting portion of said bolt.

7.The starting gate as specilied in claim 2 in which there is a magnetic means mounted on the said other of said doors for holding, when energized, said pivoted lug in engagement with said projected portion of said bolt.

8. The starting gate as spec'iiied in claim 3 in which there is arnagnetic means mounted on the said other of said doors 'forliold'ing, when energized, said pivoted lug in engagement with said projected portion of said bolt.

'9. "The starting gate as specified in claim 4 in which there is a magnetic means mounted on the said other of said doors for holding, when energized, said pivoted lng in engagement with said projected portion of said bolt.

10. The starting gate as speciied 'in claim 5 in which thereis a magnetic means mounted on the said other of said doors for holding, when energized, said pivoted lug iii engagement with `said projected portion of said bolt.

ll. The starting gate Aas specified in claim 1 lin which said retractable bolt is provided with means for holding the same in extended or retracted position.

'12. The startinggate as specified in claim 2 in which said retractable 'bolt is provided with means for holding the saine in extended or retracted position.

'13. yThe VStarting gate as specified in claim 3 in which saidretractablebolt is provided with means for 'holding the saine in extended or retracted position.

H14. The startingrgate as specified in claim 4 in which said retractable bolt is provided with means for `holding the same in extended or retracted position.

15.'The starting gate as specified in claim 5 in which said retractable bolt is provided with means for holding vthe same in extended or retracted position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Sears Roebuck Catalogue, fall and winter, 1954 edition, page 1252, `vitem U, door bolt. 

